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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cap — a lid
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. last — final
  10. cap — a hat
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cap — of ice
  13. last — to go on
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. firm — decided
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com